RICHLAND, MI - A conference championship matchup between two of the state's top girls soccer teams lived up to its billing, as Richland Gull Lake edged Portage Central, 3-2 in overtime Wednesday, to capture its fourth SMAC tournament title in five years.

Junior forward Reagan Wisser scored all three goals for Gull Lake, including the game-winner with 2:37 left in the second 10-minute overtime session.

"She was beat-tired," Gull Lake coach Jeff Corstange said of Wisser, who now has 29 goals on the season. "She played almost the full 80 minutes, but she dug deep and found some extra energy, and that's just how she ended up scoring that last goal.

"From last year to this year, you can definitely see her reaching her peak. She's more self-confident and aware of what she can do, but we also have other people that can step up and help her, and that creates more opportunities for her, as well."

One of Wisser's teammates who provided a helping hand against Portage Central was her younger sister Rosie, a sophomore midfielder, who assisted on her first two goals.

"I think they understand how each other plays and know where each other will be," Corstange said of the sisters. "They know how to but the ball on each other's foot. Having those two sisters on the team is absolutely the best thing for us."

Wisser's first goal gave Gull Lake a 1-0 lead with 14:45 left in the first half, and her second gave the Blue Devils a 2-1 lead with three minutes left in the half, after Portage Central's Emily Mergener knotted it up at 1.

Jaclynn Sibley tied it back up with six minutes left in the second half, forcing a pair of 10-minute sudden death overtime periods.

"This time we showed a lot more fight, more heart and a lot of character," Portage Central coach Tim Halloran said. "I think we showed that we're there with everyone else as far as being one of the better teams in the area.

"I think we put a lot more sustained pressure on them this time. I felt like we had them a couple times on their heels, and we didn't do that the first game."

Wisser also scored twice in the previous matchup, so Halloran knew limiting her touches would be key to his team's defensive success.

"We played her very well, but she found her ways," he said of Wisser. "I thought we did the best we could, but she popped up at the right moments, and that's what good players do."

Currently ranked No. 2 in Division 2, Gull Lake improves to 14-0-1 and will close out its regular season with Senior Night against Vicksburg on May 23.

The Blue Devils begin district play against No. 16 Mattawan on May 29, and after dropping their playoff opener last season, Corstange thinks his team is ready for a postseason run.

"We're peaking at the right time, and that's huge," Corstange said. "We have the right girls and the right chemistry, and a lot of our girls understand what it was like to lose, and they put in the hard work to get us where we are right now."

Portage Central, ranked No. 12 in Division 1, drops to 13-2-1, and the schedule doesn't get any easier for the Mustangs, who close out the regular season with Caledonia on Friday and defending Division 1 state champ Forest Hills Central on May 24.

"I think the girls learned tonight that they can fight back and continue to fight in games," Halloran said. "We're not the biggest or strongest team, and sometimes teams try to push us around, but we showed the character to continue to battle, and if we're going to make a move in the state tournament, that's what has to happen in Division 1.

"There are a lot of strong teams that put you under a lot of pressure, so this and the next two games are just preparing us for what we want to do this year."